Matthew 4:4 “But Jesus answered, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

At the Central Church Men’s Retreat this past weekend, one of the temptations discussed that men face focused on their appetites. All men face appetites of worldly nature. Men without Christ are controlled by their worldly appetites, and Christian men face the war between their worldly and spiritual appetites. Appetites lead to action one way or another. When Satan tempted Jesus, he offered him the choice to turn stones (worldly) into bread (spiritual). He could have done it, but his response as given in our Scripture this week was a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3 that we are not to live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. That is the difference between worldly appetite and spiritual appetite. For the Christian man, Jesus is our example to follow.”

For man, the worldly appetite and food may appear to be like a rich and satisfying dessert. In reality, it is unhealthy and damaging. These foods are prevalent and appear to be more pleasurable, but they can and often ruin a life even to the point of disease and death. The spiritual appetite and food may seem more like vegetables. The difference is that God’s Word makes us spiritually healthy, and a worldly appetite makes us spiritually unhealthy. It reminds me of a friend of my wife’s who once said, “A bite on the lips puts an inch on the hips.” We can suppress and not eat the unhealthy by following the words of Jesus through living by every word that comes from the mouth of God. There will never be a healthier diet or food than God’s Word. Most of us have heard “You are what you eat.” The control of our appetites is in our hands, and we decide which appetite we will follow and what we will eat. It is much easier to keep weight off than to take the weight off once we have given in to sin. Cotton candy looks so good and tastes so good, but it leaves a bitter taste and adds to our beltline. Giving in to an appetite of sin is no different, and leaders must carefully watch what they eat and what they serve their families. There is no better food than every word that comes from the mouth of God. Christian leaders must have and follow an appetite for God’s Word, rather than the appetite for what the world is offering. Remember, “You are what you eat.”